ONAC Announces Three New Mini-Grant Awards

20 Jun 2017 8:34 AM | Christy Finsel (Administrator)

The Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc.

Announces Three New ONAC Mini-Grant Awards

June 20, 2017.  We, the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. (ONAC), announce that we have awarded three additional ONAC mini-grants.  Since 2014, ONAC has awarded a total of sixteen grants, totaling $53,000. 

ONAC is a nonprofit Native asset building coalition that works with Oklahoma tribes and partners interested in establishing asset-building initiatives and programs in Native communities, for the purpose of creating greater opportunities for economic self-sufficiency of tribal citizens.

In April 2017, ONAC released our third request for proposals (RFP) to fund Native asset building projects in Oklahoma.  This grant was made possible with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.  We received eight excellent applications from tribal governments and tribal programs based in Oklahoma.  ONAC awarded a total of $7,000 in new mini-grant funds to three ONAC constituents, with support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.  An additional $500 was reallocated from a current grantee, the Native Alliance Against Violence (NAAV), to one of the new grantees, the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma.  NAAV had a change to their project plan and was in a position to generously fund five family emergency savings accounts for the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma from their ONAC grant funds.

ONAC is excited to work with the three new awardees as they continue to offer Native asset building projects to those they serve.  As needed, ONAC is available to provide free training and technical assistance to the grantees as they implement their asset building programs.

Below is information about the three new OANC mini-grant awardees and their projects:

The Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma

The purpose of the Modoc Financial Services Savings Program is to encourage twenty tribal families to save money for emergency and long-term goals.  The program wishes to introduce these twenty families to the banking industry and help the tribal members learn how to manage their money.  Each family will be provided with $100 for a savings account opening deposit (awarded a total of $2,000, with $1,500 from ONAC and $500 from current ONAC-funded mini-grant awardee Native Alliance Against Violence). 

The Housing Authority of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma

The purpose of their six-week Educational Financial Course, taught by an instructor from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Financial Coaching Program, is to educate their tenants about building financial security.  Their classes will focus on educating tenants on how to budget their monthly finances in order to live below their means so that they can save for a rainy day.  Although this may be challenging, it will empower their families to maintain independence and self-sufficiency, even in a financial emergency.  The point of this fund is to prevent their tenants from having to add to their debt in times of need.  The twenty-five families that complete at least five of the six weeks of the budgeting class will receive $100, per family, for an opening account deposit at Tulsa Teachers Credit Union.  As a follow-up, the financial coach will remain in contact with the families (every 30 to 60 days) to assist with any budgeting issues (awarded $3,500). 

Absentee Shawnee Housing Authority

The purpose of the Match Savings Account program will be to provide current and/or future participants in their Home Ownership/Lease to Own programs with an opportunity to open a savings account to help offset the costs of a housing emergency or emergencies that may affect their housing needs.  At least eight families will receive up to $250 in match funds, for their savings deposits, to help them grow the funds in their emergency savings account (awarded $2,000).

Congratulations to these grantees!

For more information about the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc., please go to http://oknativeassets.org

To help ONAC fund the additional applicants, and provide technical assistance to them for their projects, as well as to administer Children’s Savings Accounts for those applicants that proposed to work with youth, please consider making a donation to ONAC.  To make a donation, go to http://oknativeassets.org/donate.   Thank you for considering this request.

Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition 
(405) 720-0770

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software